new 325i - first impresions

[dorkus]

hi all,

last saturday i picked up my brand new 2004 325i. the 3 was definitely at the upper end of my budget (i had been looking at much less expensive cars), but i was able to get a good deal on a basically-equipped model (silver grey, leatherette, moonroof, steptronic, heated seats) so i went for it. i've put on around 350 miles the last few days (unfortunately over crappy new jersey roads, but what can i do) and every mile seems sweeter than the last. here are some of my first impressions...

BREAK-IN. i'm following the "mixed-mode" approach - bursts of revs under load followed by closed-throttle decel - as best as i can, though my mostly highway driving in jersey makes it a bit difficult (i've basically been inducing carsickness trying to avoid constant speeds/RPMs). when i picked up the car, it had only 6 miles since leaving the Munich factory, and while it drove beautifully off the lot i definitely sensed stiffness in its responses. after the first 100 miles it started to relax a bit, and at 300 miles it was notably improved in power and flexibility. i can't wait til for 15k to roll around on the odometer and thinks are really flowing.

SPORT PACKAGE (or lack thereof). i couldn't afford the sport package (at least not in combination with the options most models come equipped with). it would have been nice to have the sport seats, and the stock 16" rims are pretty puny - i really like the more agressive stance of sport-equipped models like the 330i. but after my first 300 miles over jersey pot holes (i live in Jersey City which is surrounded by a twisted mess of some truly ghastly roads), i'm now relieved that i went with the stock set-up... the ride is still plenty firm for me and i probably wouldn't want the impacts to be more jarring than they already are. no, it is not nearly as flat in the corners as my friend's ZHP, but then my fillings aren't falling out either. besides, the way i look at it, a 325i w/o sport package is still way more sporty than so many so-called "sport sedans" out there. the ride-handling balance on the stock model is great for me.

INTERIOR. love the leatherette. very comfy, no concerns about durability, and no one can tell it's synthetic. it also seems slightly grippier than the standard leather and holds me in my non-sport seats quite well (though it can't match alcantera of course). the manual seat adjustment mechanism is a little clunky but gets the job done. there's actually a fair amount of lumbar support on the stock seats - does a nice job of keeping my back straight on long drives. the titanium-finish trim is a bit cheap-looking vs. wood or the premium metallics, but i can deal with it. the heated seats work great - they get me roasting in no time. the climate control system is rather quirky and counter-intuitive the first few times you use it, but i've adjusted. the car is relatively small, but fits just right - my parents sat in the back and thought it was very comfortable, and they're used to driving around in a minivan. the overall ergonomics are superb, down to the view through the rear-view mirror (not to be overlooked - my gf's old Chrysler had a HORRIBLE view out the back). i just wish the trunk were bigger (it really is quite puny, very shallow) and there was more storage space inside (the glove box is small and there are no other decent bins).

STEREO SYSTEM. i rented a 325i several months ago and was disappointed by the mediocre sound quality of the stock system. well, perhaps it's just my lowered expectations coming into play, but now i'm finding the non-HK system on my car to be quite adequate. it doesn't have much bass to speak of but i listen to mostly classical with some pop and jazz thrown in and it's been very acceptable, and others have actually commented that classical sounds very good. the FM reception is excellent - 96.3FM (NY Times classical station) is crystal clear, my mother mistook it for a CD. speed-sensitive volume works well.

OTHER STUFF. auto headlights and keyless entry are great standard features, along with all the other thoughtful little features on the car. i have the car programed to auto-lock doors at 5mph, use daytime running lights, and blink signal lights and clown nose when locked. the rain-sensing wipers are terrific - picked up the pace perfectly as i drove through the remnants of hurricane Charlie.

CONCLUSION. i had some pangs of guilt buying the car (it was a lot of money that i could have used for other things), but like people said it's all melting away with every mile i drive it. :D despite not having many options, it has everything i need in a car (i'm glad BMW finally caught up in the "standard equipment game" for 2004). the styling is so perfect, it seems to please everyone: my mother finds it very classy; my usually-conservative father loves the handsome lines and sportiness; and everyone thinks the silver-grey is beautiful. my father also appreciated the feeling of stability and utter control behind the wheel, and my brother was hooked after taking a 5 minute test spin - on the way back he kept taking detours to prolong the drive. other than the slight annoyance of the lack of storage space (which i knew and accepted about the car anyway), i am absolutely 100% satisfied so far. :thumbup: thanks to all the bimmerfest members who helped me make my decision, to my dealer who made the entire process as smooth and painless as possible, my parents for financing me and getting me cheap insurance :p and last but not least my ZHP-owning friend who gave me a really hard time for months about not settling for anything less than a bmw. ;)

cheers,
dorkus

[ljh824]

Wow, we have almost the identical car. I bought my 325i in April as a gift to my wife, and I think I drive it more than she does. I also have the silver gray metallic with the leatherette. I love the leatherette. A coworker was in the car and commented that my seats were better than his, and he actually had authentic leather in his car. I also suffered from buyer's remorse after I bought the car, but that wore off VERY quickly. I'm now a BMW owner for life and am actually considering the X5 as my next vehicle purchase. Congrats on your new ride!!! :thumbup:

[wag-zhp]

Welcome aboard! Nice write up. I love the way these cars keep loosening up as we log more miles on them. I'm still under 2k, but have noticed that the middle and upper rpms seem to be getting sweeter and sweeter. I have heard that these inline 6's really come to life somewere between 10k and 30k. If that's true I'll never be able to turn mine in at lease end.

[dorkus]

thanks guys. last night i didn't get a chance to drive the car after work as my gf was not feeling well... it was very sad for me. :p

my only pet peeve at the moment is that after riding in my friend's super-flat-cornering ZHP, the body roll on the stock setup is quite noticable, although still well controlled by "normal" standards. OTOH, i find my ride to be more comfortable than his. what are the suspension changes on the sport package? different coils and shocks and a beefier anti-roll bar? i wonder if i could upgrade the anti-roll w/o changing the other components and not screw up the dynamics of the car... i'm fine with the current firmness and probably don't want to lose any suspension travel due to the crappy roads i drive on.

[Fzara2000]

Excellent write-up. I must say, it really makes me happy when I see another BMW owner happy with his decision.

I see you live in Jersey City; I'm a bit north around Parsippany, but PM me one of these days and we'll have a small meet.

Welcome to the 'fest, and the exclusive Silver Gray community! :thumbup:

[Jim H]

thanks guys. last night i didn't get a chance to drive the car after work as my gf was not feeling well... it was very sad for me. :p

my only pet peeve at the moment is that after riding in my friend's super-flat-cornering ZHP, the body roll on the stock setup is quite noticable, although still well controlled by "normal" standards. OTOH, i find my ride to be more comfortable than his. what are the suspension changes on the sport package? different coils and shocks and a beefier anti-roll bar? i wonder if i could upgrade the anti-roll w/o changing the other components and not screw up the dynamics of the car... i'm fine with the current firmness and probably don't want to lose any suspension travel due to the crappy roads i drive on.


I no expert on the details, but the basics are as follows: The Sport Package suspension that is optional on the 325i is the same as the stock setup on the 330i--stiffer springs, a little lower, etc. The ZHP has an even more aggressive suspension than the standard sport package, so you'll really feel a lot of difference between that and the stock 325i non-SP.

[bmw325]

thanks guys. last night i didn't get a chance to drive the car after work as my gf was not feeling well... it was very sad for me. :p

my only pet peeve at the moment is that after riding in my friend's super-flat-cornering ZHP, the body roll on the stock setup is quite noticable, although still well controlled by "normal" standards. OTOH, i find my ride to be more comfortable than his. what are the suspension changes on the sport package? different coils and shocks and a beefier anti-roll bar? i wonder if i could upgrade the anti-roll w/o changing the other components and not screw up the dynamics of the car... i'm fine with the current firmness and probably don't want to lose any suspension travel due to the crappy roads i drive on.

You could change the rollbars- that might help. I think the 16" wheells and the reg suspension are actually perfect for driving in NY/NJ. I have a 325i w/ sport pkg and there are many times when I kind of wish I had that setup.

[richard]

I was in the same budget challenged state as you. Mine is very similar except a stick. After 2 years I still get excited driving it. Here in Chicago I'm sometimes glad I didn't get the sport package. Love the leatherette, but do miss the sport steering wheel. Oh well, that just cosmetic anyway.

[dorkus]

Excellent write-up. I must say, it really makes me happy when I see another BMW owner happy with his decision.

I see you live in Jersey City; I'm a bit north around Parsippany, but PM me one of these days and we'll have a small meet.

Welcome to the 'fest, and the exclusive Silver Gray community! :thumbup:

thanks Fzara. i love the silver grey too, as does everyone who's seen it. ;)
we will definitely have to meet up sometime - you are going to have to show me some decent roads in this god-forsaken state! :p

oh yeah, obligatory "i'm-so-happy-with-my-new-ride" picture. not the best angle, but i was in public and didn't want to look like a materialistic obsessive loser snapping away pictures of my new car... :eeps:

[Fzara2000]

thanks Fzara. i love the silver grey too, as does everyone who's seen it. ;)
we will definitely have to meet up sometime - you are going to have to show me some decent roads in this god-forsaken state! :p

oh yeah, obligatory "i'm-so-happy-with-my-new-ride" picture. not the best angle, but i was in public and didn't want to look like a materialistic obsessive loser snapping away pictures of my new car... :eeps:

It looks nothing short of amazing. Almost like my car zaino'ed last week. I would actually love to take pictures of a stock 325i and a stock 325xi right next to each other. It would give me a great chance to compare the ride height too.

If you can find some more NJ 'festers to come join us, it'd be great, but otherwise we should plan something this week or the next while I am still on vacation and not commuting to NJIT. :thumbup:

[Piledriver]

Nice!! Now put some clears on that car. It'll improve the look.

[dorkus]

If you can find some more NJ 'festers to come join us, it'd be great, but otherwise we should plan something this week or the next while I am still on vacation and not commuting to NJIT. :thumbup:

cool... i'll see if i can drag along my friend in Staten Island as well. he has a silver grey 330i ZHP. :thumbup: he basically bitched me out until i saw his dealer and put a deposit down... at least he backed it up by giving me a ride to pick it up. :D

[Fzara2000]

cool... i'll see if i can drag along my friend in Staten Island as well. he has a silver grey 330i ZHP. :thumbup: he basically bitched me out until i saw his dealer and put a deposit down... at least he backed it up by giving me a ride to pick it up. :D

I didn't realize that Jersey City is a whopping 41 minutes away from me. :eek:

I'm going to see if I can do some posting on the forums to see if there are any more NJ 'festers around us.

[dorkus]

Nice!! Now put some clears on that car. It'll improve the look.

tails, front signals, side markers, or everything? :p i REALLY love the clears in the back, but it is way too expensive for something purely cosmetic - i'd rather buy a new anti-roll bar or something. the fronts i definitely like stock (the clears look ok on a Ci but a little wannabe to me on an i), side markers i'm kind of indifferent... maybe if i got clear rears it would match better to have clear sides.


I didn't realize that Jersey City is a whopping 41 minutes away from me. :eek:

yeah, i am in that dumping-ground/bus-depot-for-NYC-armpit-of-an-area known as Hudson County. my yuppie neighborhood is tolerable, but my surroundings are depressing (can you say Secaucus? Elizabeth? Newark?). no big deal though, i don't mind the drive - i have relatives up around Westwood that i've been visiting now that i have a good mode of transportation. ;) and the roads in Bergen County are infinitely nicer...

p.s. will adding a M strut tower brace do anything noticable for my handling, or is that one of those "+5bhp M sticker" deals? :confused:

[KrisL]

Regarding the stereo, I have found the same thing: I think the E46 stereos are designed for classical music!

[KrisL]

p.s. will adding a M strut tower brace do anything noticable for my handling, or is that one of those "+5bhp M sticker" deals? :confused:


Most strut tower braces don't give a significant handling improvement. Larger sway bars will.

[dorkus]

Most strut tower braces don't give a significant handling improvement. Larger sway bars will.

ok... do you think it would be ok to upgrade just the sway bars on my stock suspension setup, or is it part of a "delicate balance" and would screw up handling dynamics w/o other modifications to shocks, coils, control arms, etc?

[KrisL]

ok... do you think it would be ok to upgrade just the sway bars on my stock suspension setup, or is it part of a "delicate balance" and would screw up handling dynamics w/o other modifications to shocks, coils, control arms, etc?


It'd be OK to upgrade alone (it's my first planned upgrade)... the ride will definitely be harsher...

May be best to find someone in the area that has similar mods and see if they'll let you drive their car..

[Jeff_DML]

ok... do you think it would be ok to upgrade just the sway bars on my stock suspension setup, or is it part of a "delicate balance" and would screw up handling dynamics w/o other modifications to shocks, coils, control arms, etc?

I would say yes, I just finished upgrading both sway bars on my non-bmw and they are a nice upgrade. You will lose some suspension independence going with stiffer sway bars but I think it might be worth if for you. Since you just got a car you might want to drive it a bit to get a feel for your current setup so you know what you like/dislike about the handling.

Nice writeup and congrats :thumbup:

[freq019]

regarding the lack of interior storage space I saw a guy on another site I think it was http://www.325i.net he installed the first aid kit under both seats, it's an easy install and it gives you two if you install them under both seats, spaces to put extra junk or a first aid kit. I'm planning on doing this soon since the bins are only 13 bucks from the dealer.

[dorkus]

sorry, couldn't resist posting another shot before i go for a little evening spin :p

<img src="http://dorkus.net/pics/misc/bimmer2.jpg">

[sargepug]

My fellow MYC Metro area guys have to come to me to really drive their cars. I am in Westchester County and I have alot of sweet winding roads up here. I take alot of rips up to Bear Mountain about 1/2 hr drive North up rt 9 & 9A and run North up Rt 100 to Croton Falls, The Salems, etc. We all should set up a drive, especially if you are in the mine fields of Jersey City.

I also have the same options on my 325ci. Pleather, Moonroof, Tiptronic and heated seats. I think it is a East coast basic package. I can't wait for 1,500K either, I only have 250 on it now and it is driving me crazy. I already have a mass air intake sitting in my garage for it and I will also be adding the Shark Injector as soon as it comes out for the 04's. As far as sport packages, etc. I already have my hotrod (Roush) and I use the ci for work and my everyday vehicle. I prefer the all seasons and plusher ride.


http://memimage.cardomain.com/member_img_a/574408_66_full.jpg

[Double Vanos]

Congrats on the new bimmer! Your now part of the club! Nice ride love that color ;) .
I just traded in a 325ci manual and i had a hard time doing it. You will fall in love with these cars and the engine gets better with more miles on it.

[BlackChrome]

Congrats on the purchase! That sure is a gorgeous color! :thumbup:

[FAR]

Congrats. I like the choice of colors...

[allaboutme]

Great writeup, Dorkus.
Congratulations on your car purchase. Yes, it's a bit pricey to get in a BMW but maintain it a little and it shouldn't be much more than any other car.

A BMW with no options is still a great choice. You should spend some more time with yours and see how you enjoy the feeling before you modify anything. Like KrisL said, you should try to find someone willing to let you drive his/her car so you know what you want and what you want to change. There's a lot of criticisms about East Coast roads, so you may want to hold off changing anything that may make the ride harsher.

Otherwise, congrats again! Now, it's only a matter of saving up for what you want to change in the car like so many people here do :eeps:

[dorkus]

thanks for the comments and tips guys. i'm actually not intending to screw around with the suspension for quite some time, if at all... will definitely wait for the car (and myself) to be fully broken in (at least 15k miles) before even attempting anything. i'm just getting ahead of myself as usual, i'm broke at the moment anyway. :p

other tweak ideas i was toying with: myrtle wood trim (decided it wasn't worth the hassle/expense), auto-dimming mirror swap (really very useful, but i can live w/o it), and stereo upgrades (too involved/$$$, and the stock stereo sounds better than i was expecting after all). it's an endless cycle once you start getting into these things so i'm going to have to resist the temptation to start in the first place...

the one thing i *would* like sooner rather than later is the clear taillights... i just love how they look, but hard to justify $350 for a purely cosmetic change. the stock amber works just fine... if it ain't broke, don't fix it, i suppose. :rolleyes:

[BlackChrome]

...if it ain't broke, don't fix it, i suppose...
That's a good attitude. You can save money for something else more important! :thumbup:

[sargepug]

thanks for the comments and tips guys. i'm actually not intending to screw around with the suspension for quite some time, if at all... will definitely wait for the car (and myself) to be fully broken in (at least 15k miles) before even attempting anything. i'm just getting ahead of myself as usual, i'm broke at the moment anyway. :p

other tweak ideas i was toying with: myrtle wood trim (decided it wasn't worth the hassle/expense), auto-dimming mirror swap (really very useful, but i can live w/o it), and stereo upgrades (too involved/$$$, and the stock stereo sounds better than i was expecting after all). it's an endless cycle once you start getting into these things so i'm going to have to resist the temptation to start in the first place...

the one thing i *would* like sooner rather than later is the clear taillights... i just love how they look, but hard to justify $350 for a purely cosmetic change. the stock amber works just fine... if it ain't broke, don't fix it, i suppose. :rolleyes:


DON'T RICE IT UP!

[dorkus]

DON'T RICE IT UP!

:p don't worry, i am not a ricer by any means, though my friends keep joking they're going to get me spinny rims and stickers and a big rear wing for xmas...

i just want the OEM clears in the back! that's not ricing, that euro-trashing. ;) oh yeah, and i want a body shop to paint my black licence plate trim piece, so it's like the 330i's... that'll round out my improvements to the rear end look. i'm not even going to get a M lip spolier. :p

[phita23]

Hi from Paramus NJ! Just ordered my 325i a few days ago, will arive next Monday hopefully.
So any break-in tips from you guys? Please invite me to your meets :D Roads around here are so crowded and potholes everywhere.

[Chris325i]

Hi from Paramus NJ! Just ordered my 325i a few days ago, will arive next Monday hopefully.
So any break-in tips from you guys? Please invite me to your meets :D Roads around here are so crowded and potholes everywhere.

I was out there last month (Mahwah NJ & Sterling Forest NY), at least you guys have roads with curves ! I was cursing the rental Chevy Aveo I was stuck with, wishing I had my 325i. Here around Chicago everything is flat & straight.

[dorkus]

hi phita,
cool, congrats. i bet you can't wait to pick up your car. i didn't sleep to well the last couple days before i got mine. :P what color did you get? options? which dealer?

as for break-in: yeah, it's tough in jersey, what with the crappy roads, lots of highways, traffic, cops... you really need some open space and freedom to do things properly. still, i think there are some things you can keep in mind to improve the break-in. have you read the excellent post from a while back, "The Break-in"? it talks about what i refer to as "mixed-mode" break-in, where you vary the revs and mix up high-load/rpm bursts with closed-throttle decelleration (coasting). the most important things i try to keep in mind:
<ul>
<li>always warm up the car before driving. i do about 3 minutes to start (you'll see the temperature gauge go up about 1/4th, and the engine idle speed will drop a bit), then spend another couple minutes coasting down my parking garage; by the time i'm out the engine is close to warm. drive off carefully at first, and don't gun it until it's been running at least 5 minutes or so and the oil is all warmed up.
<li>try to have the engine on for at least 15 minutes at a time so everything gets up to operating temperature; not so good for the car if you drive for just a few minutes and things aren't warm, then shut it off.
<li>avoid idling for long periods of time. try to avoid excessive heat (e.g. stuck in traffic on a hot day with A/C on).
<li>avoid constant loads/RPMs for long periods of time; don't use cruise control. you want to flex the engine with bursts of revs/load, then allow it to cruise/rest a bit to allow heat-soak. kind of like working out your muscles. when i'm on the Turnpike or whatever, i try not to stay in top gear all the time... every couple minutes i'll downshift to 4th (i have Steptronic), get a burst of accelleration, then shift back to 5th, coast back to normal speed, and resume. gotta watch out for cops though as you'll easily pass 80mph if you want to get closer to the 4500rpm "limit."
<li>as the manual states, do not exceed 4500rpm/100mph for the first 1000 miles or so.
<li>with the humidity in these parts, condensation in the A/C system can be a problem. if you've been driving with the A/C on, a couple minutes before shutting down/parking the car you will want to run your climate control on full blast for a couple minutes with the A/C turned off and with recirculating air. this allows the parts to reach ambient temperature and moisture to run off/evaporate.
</ul>

i don't know how well my engine break-in technique is working, but i can tell you with every 100 miles i put on the car it just gets smoother and smoother... runs like butter now, and i'm only at 550 miles. :thumbup:

[dorkus]

oh yeah, almost forgot... i think you'll want your first oil change early on, well before the 15k mile mark... i've seen people recommend as early as 1k miles. the reason is you'll have a lot of ground-up metal and crap from the original manufacturing and break-in process. i'm planning to do mine around 1k probably. my dealer told me you'll see all kinds of gunk in there (i already saw some at 200 miles) and the filters will get totally chewed up by 5k.

[Worm]

If you can find some more NJ 'festers to come join us, it'd be great, but otherwise we should plan something this week or the next while I am still on vacation and not commuting to NJIT. :thumbup:


I'm over in Hoboken, if you are all going to meet up let me know too.

[phita23]

oh yeah, almost forgot... i think you'll want your first oil change early on, well before the 15k mile mark... i've seen people recommend as early as 1k miles. the reason is you'll have a lot of ground-up metal and crap from the original manufacturing and break-in process. i'm planning to do mine around 1k probably. my dealer told me you'll see all kinds of gunk in there (i already saw some at 200 miles) and the filters will get totally chewed up by 5k.

Thanks for the break-in summary. I've read somewhere, I dont remember exactly, to not accelerate too hard for the first x miles. What do you think?

PS: I got alpine white with manual transmission. no packages. Got it at Difeo BMW for 29k out the door.

[sargepug]

I have the place for you Jersey boyz. I live about 30min south of Bear Mountain, which is right off the Palasaides . I know those roads well up there. Let's set it up!

[phita23]

I have the place for you Jersey boyz. I live about 30min south of Bear Mountain, which is right off the Palasaides . I know those roads well up there. Let's set it up!


Sounds good, my car is supposed to be delivered on Monday :D

[Staszek]

First thing I would do if you can find a set, get a used set of ZHP sways, even with the stock non sport springs and shocks you will feel a very very nice difference. You will still get a nice soft ride over the NJ potholes, but the car will track much nicer straight and handle much more flat and nuetral.

They are one of the most favorite things I ever changed on my car. On and Off ramps are so much fun now!

[dorkus]

Got it at Difeo BMW for 29k out the door.

who was your salesman there? i wound up not buying there, but i worked with a dealer over the phone a bit - he was really very nice and helpful. i would have bought there had my friend not set me up with a dealer closer to me.

[dorkus]

I have the place for you Jersey boyz. I live about 30min south of Bear Mountain, which is right off the Palasaides . I know those roads well up there. Let's set it up!

:thumbup: that sounds great. i've passed through there before and it seemed like there'd be some good twisty roads in the area. i'm sure we could get a good group together easily. there was also a e46fanatics meet in Weehawken last weekend, but i didn't make it.

[dorkus]

I've read somewhere, I dont remember exactly, to not accelerate too hard for the first x miles. What do you think?

there are differing views on this, but it depends on what you mean by "hard." you don't want to stress the engine excessively, but you don't want to "baby" it either - that's actually bad for breaking it in.

check these out:
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68246
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68289
http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

[jr86]

yeah, i am in that dumping-ground/bus-depot-for-NYC-armpit-of-an-area known as Hudson County. my yuppie neighborhood is tolerable, but my surroundings are depressing (can you say Secaucus? Elizabeth? Newark?).



Haha, i live in Elizabeth. It definitely is depressing... my neighborhood is alright, but i would MUCH rather live in Hoboken.

[sargepug]

:thumbup: that sounds great. i've passed through there before and it seemed like there'd be some good twisty roads in the area. i'm sure we could get a good group together easily. there was also a e46fanatics meet in Weehawken last weekend, but i didn't make it.


Yeah, their are nice roads nearby here. Nice enough that, if you don't disengage the dsc, it will interfere :thumbup: I have about 650miles on it and wan't to wait till about 1500 (break-in) to hook up and do a run. Lets set something up for mid-late Oct. Nice foliage in the fall! :D

[dorkus]

Yeah, their are nice roads nearby here. Nice enough that, if you don't disengage the dsc, it will interfere :thumbup: I have about 650miles on it and wan't to wait till about 1500 (break-in) to hook up and do a run. Lets set something up for mid-late Oct. Nice foliage in the fall! :D

i'm just under 1400 miles now, so i'll be ready pretty soon. ;) well, the car will be ready at any rate, not sure about my driving skills (or lack thereof)...

my friend wants to take his ZHP out with us sometime. he says he can also bring along a couple M3's. i'll stay in the back, we'll have to pick a rendezvous spot at the end of the route so you guys can have a cup of coffee or watch a movie while i try to catch up... :eeps:

[sargepug]

I just might have to bring my Roush then. I can't be showed up by the M3 boys. I have an ego disorder :bigpimp:

[njnyc330i]

Hey Dorkus,

Great decision on getting a bimmer. I'm also in Jersey City (near Harborside Financial) .... how much do you pay for parking per month?

NJNYC330i
2001 330i w/Spt Pkg

[sargepug]

Hey Dorkus,

Great decision on getting a bimmer. I'm also in Jersey City (near Harborside Financial) .... how much do you pay for parking per month?

NJNYC330i
2001 330i w/Spt Pkg


Funny you brought that up. When I lived in Manhattan I had a 99' M3 that cost $450 a month to park! :yikes: Thank god I was able to write it off :bling:
P.S. it was a nightmare and a mistake to get the car. It's not cool to take delivery of a brand new M3 and have to park it in a public garage. Even though I had a private spot. I fixed alot of curb rashes from those yahoos bringing my car up. I mae de them pay for it though and eventually only I would park and get my car. (greased the manager) :mad:

[njnyc330i]

Funny you brought that up. When I lived in Manhattan I had a 99' M3 that cost $400 a month to park! :yikes: Thank god I was able to write it off :bling:


$400 is pretty insane, but standard for Manhattan ... I pay $175 per month to park in my apts garage. Luckily , I write that off as a business expense!

[bbkat]

Another congrats/welcome! If you ever start to wonder if you made the right choice, take a drive :D

As for oil change - do a search. Ton's of discussions. I did mine at 7,500.

Enjoy :thumbup:

[st_o_p]

$400 is pretty insane, but standard for Manhattan ... I pay $175 per month to park in my apts garage. Luckily , I write that off as a business expense!

Hey guys, I'm just gonna jump in the discussion.
I'm also in Jersey City - as it turned out, we are in the same building with dorkus.

njnyc330i - I guess that's about the price, I pay $170 for my building garage in Newport; used to be 160, they raised it several months ago.

Keep me guys posted if you do a meet in NJ

[sargepug]

We can hook @ Bear Mountain. Which is right off the Palasiades on the Jersey Rockland Border. Every Wed. night they have a Cruise / car show from 6-9 and plenty of sweet roads to run on!

[dorkus]

thanks for the continued congrats guys. i am loving the car... got a little upgrade itch, but i've been getting by w/o scratching it... so far... :p all i've done to date is paint the black trunk handle trim piece to body color for 80 bucks. i'm looking for a set of 119 wheels, maybe ZHP sways, but that's about it. i went through a couple weeks of lamenting not getting the sport package, but i'm liking my cushy ride again and i think bigger wheels and sways will do the trick.

njnyc330i - I guess that's about the price, I pay $170 for my building garage in Newport; used to be 160, they raised it several months ago.

yeah, central parking sucks. they are a bunch of trolls. the other day i couldn't get out of the garage because they claimed i had balance due on my account, but i clearly told them i wanted recurring billing on my CC. i went to the office and they slapped on a $20 "late fee" which i argued until they credited it to my next month. lame.

I just might have to bring my Roush then. I can't be showed up by the M3 boys. I have an ego disorder :bigpimp:

haha, don't worry... one of the M3 drivers is my old coworker, a heavy-footed irish dude. i haven't actually seen him drive but from what i've heard you could probably beat him in his M3 with a Mini Cooper S... assumming he even makes it through the whole course w/o crashing and burning.

[sargepug]

I might have missed it Dorkus, what color combo and options do you have?

[dorkus]

I might have missed it Dorkus, what color combo and options do you have?

i got me a stripper... 325i in silver grey with black leatherette, steptronic, moonroof, and heated seats. on the plus side, i got it for just over $30k out the door, tax tags etc. included. :D

[sargepug]

i got me a stripper... 325i in silver grey with black leatherette, steptronic, moonroof, and heated seats. on the plus side, i got it for just over $30k out the door, tax tags etc. included. :D


I have a "stripper" also. The only difference is mine is a Ci. I think we have the basic "North East package". Dealers won't stock a bear bones car less or differently equipped that ours. I leased mine w/ no money down for $410 a month :thumbup:

[dorkus]

I have a "stripper" also. The only difference is mine is a Ci. I think we have the basic "North East package". Dealers won't stock a bear bones car less or differently equipped that ours.

yeah... actually, one dealer did find me a Jet Black 325i with only steptronic... no moonroof, no heated seats, nothing! i bet i coulda gotten that super cheap, being very undesirably equipped for here in the Northeast, but then it was so undesirable even cheapskate i didn't want it... :p i got lucky finding this one at the dealer my friend recommended... perfectly equipped for me, in my first choice color and freshly arrived off the boat from Munich. :thumbup:

[dorkus]

went for a little midnight spin tonight. mileage is around 1470 or so... my friend pointed out to me that i've passed the basic 1200 mile break-in point, so i can start revving a little more now. whoopee! somehow i thought i was supposed to wait til 5000 miles so it's a nice surprise. still don't want to push to hard or go above 5000 rpm but i played with some late shifts today and WOW the extra push between 4500 and 5k is great... engine is really starting to open up and you get a nice shove in the back when the tach breaks 4500. the car just feels so much happier revved up too, coasting back to a traffic light after a hard run it purrs so smoothly. love it!

also have to put in a plug for the Steptronic... yes it's a slush and a stick will still kick its butt, but as far as these things go the Step is GREAT... if you time it right you can shift quite quickly, it's always responsive and does what you want it to do (unlikes some other manumatics that have a mind of their own), and it is always silky smooth doing it... other than faster shifts, i couldn't imagine a better slush.

[sargepug]

That road is amazing, but there's always a car going 25 MPH in front of you. :mad:


LOL, you have to get up there early, before or the mini-van fools take the road. If you are familiar w/ the area, I also run alot around Somers, South and North Salem, Bedford, etc. All of these roads branch off of Rt. 100 and some off Rt. 22.

[phita23]

So what are some good routes to drive around on. I'm from Paramus, land of Rt 4 and 17.

Please give some good directions to and from Paramus, as I dont know where the hell I'm going :D

[Greg Ganz]

Congratulations! You bought a great car. " The Ultimate Driving Machine". You won't be disapointed. Nothing like a Bimmer!

[hem]

It looks nothing short of amazing. Almost like my car zaino'ed last week. I would actually love to take pictures of a stock 325i and a stock 325xi right next to each other. It would give me a great chance to compare the ride height too.

If you can find some more NJ 'festers to come join us, it'd be great, but otherwise we should plan something this week or the next while I am still on vacation and not commuting to NJIT. :thumbup:

Hi all,
I am also a VERY new member to the BMW world...I am a pre lexus owner. Still getting used to my new ride (only 2 weeks old). I think terminology in AUS is slightly different, but I have a 320CI -M-sport August 2004 release, not to be confused with the M3 off course. I am not sure what that translates to for you guys. But here are a couple of pictures if it helps with height clearance etc.

Regards,
Hem

[Fzara2000]

I must've completely forgotten about this thread being busy with school and just being lazy and all. :eeps:

Wherever you guys meet is fine with me, as long as it is close by. I'm pretty known to everyone around e46fanatics, as I was at the Euro Meet at the Sheraton Crossroads in Mahwah back in August, and I also met at the GSP Mall a week ago with them. Most of them are about 19-21...heavy modded rims, dropped suspensions, no license plates, etc, so i'm kinda wondering what the bimmerfest meets are like since this would probably be my first, like the rest of you :thumbup:

If we do meet anywhere, I suggest we not go for a drive. I've driven with friends before, and we all have tendencies to get lost. Maybe if we have a meet somewhere, and then all follow the "leader" to some resturant for dinner, would probably be the best. Also, preferably Friday or Saturday is fine.

If we plan a meet whenever, make sure everyone has 2-way radios so we can all keep in touch over a common channel and frequency with each of the cars
Dorkus, you seem to be the center of attention right now...so i'll let you handle this, plan everything, etc.

By the way...a few of you need to give me rides in your cars :thumbup:

[sargepug]

I must've completely forgotten about this thread being busy with school and just being lazy and all. :eeps:

Wherever you guys meet is fine with me, as long as it is close by. I'm pretty known to everyone around e46fanatics, as I was at the Euro Meet at the Sheraton Crossroads in Mahwah back in August, and I also met at the GSP Mall a week ago with them. Most of them are about 19-21...heavy modded rims, dropped suspensions, no license plates, etc, so i'm kinda wondering what the bimmerfest meets are like since this would probably be my first, like the rest of you :thumbup:

If we do meet anywhere, I suggest we not go for a drive. I've driven with friends before, and we all have tendencies to get lost. Maybe if we have a meet somewhere, and then all follow the "leader" to some resturant for dinner, would probably be the best. Also, preferably Friday or Saturday is fine.

If we plan a meet whenever, make sure everyone has 2-way radios so we can all keep in touch over a common channel and frequency with each of the cars
Dorkus, you seem to be the center of attention right now...so i'll let you handle this, plan everything, etc.

By the way...a few of you need to give me rides in your cars :thumbup:


I have a Nextel, I am always direct connect! :thumbup: Lets set a date and do it! I think a neutral place to meet is at the Bear Mountain Inn, nice and early on a Sunday Morning.

[Fzara2000]

early

Morning

:eek:

The earliest i've ever woken up for a while was 11:30am..and it's even later than that for class!